All Season/Cross Climate tyres - any experience or recommendations?

[V6GBJ]

My recently acquired W166 will need a set of tyres before next winter and I'm contemplating cross climate/all weather types. There are several brands priced from £150 to £250 per corner. Does anyone have any experience or can recommend a particular brand? There is currently some discounting going on so I may try to spot a bargain one day soon! Thanks for any comments.

 

[Chrishazle]

Fitted 17" Michelin Crossclimates to the front of the S204 a year ago, OK not done that much mileage since but am happy with them, however can't fit them to the rears as I need 245/40R17 which I've yet to find in any brand, closest I can find is 235/45R19 (Michelin) but not sure about changing sizes. Previously had Goodyear Eagle F1 Assymetric 2's front and rear.

 

[grober]

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[grober]

Among the first to develop winter tyres with silica compound and siping were NOKIAN and VREDESTEIN later followed by Michelin, Continental etc---the Japanese followed of course. My advice would be to stick to a EUROPEAN MAKE as they have been at it longer and have similar climate conditions to ours.

 

[m80]

My recently acquired W166 will need a set of tyres before next winter and I'm contemplating cross climate/all weather types. There are several brands priced from £150 to £250 per corner. Does anyone have any experience or can recommend a particular brand? There is currently some discounting going on so I may try to spot a bargain one day soon! Thanks for any comments.

Tbh I would consider where they are going to be used.
For example N Wales could be anything from Snowdonia to sunny Llandudno.
If the former then good winter boots are a biggy,
if the latter I would just go for a quality summer tyre.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

I've got bridgestone all weather evos in 18 inch all round on my e350 . They have been fantastic since fitting , the days we had snow they managed really well , with summers id of gotten nowhere. Rated b and a .

 

[markjay]

Michelin CrossClimate+ do get very good reviews.

I believe Kwik Fit are currently offering 15% off any set of 4 Michelin tyres.

 

[grober]

one thing to note is that the stocking of winter/allseason tyres can be "seasonal" not sure if this is a stocking issue or production related but if you want a broad choice of makes of all weather/winter tyres in your size this may vary during the year

 

[anglaslt]

Among the first to develop winter tyres with silica compound and siping were NOKIAN and VREDESTEIN later followed by Michelin, Continental etc---the Japanese followed of course. My advice would be to stick to a EUROPEAN MAKE as they have been at it longer and have similar climate conditions to ours.

I agree. I'm a big fan of Vredestein and have used them for many years on our SUVs. Because of the extreme winters I use their full winter WintracXtreme but in UK I would probably choose their all season (but winter rated) Quatrac tyre. Not only do they perform well they wear well too. Even the full winters I leave on all year round and the present set have been on over 5 years and still have 5mm tread. They'll be replaced next winter.

 

[23 Romeo Tango]

My recently acquired W166 will need a set of tyres before next winter and I'm contemplating cross climate/all weather types. There are several brands priced from £150 to £250 per corner. Does anyone have any experience or can recommend a particular brand? There is currently some discounting going on so I may try to spot a bargain one day soon! Thanks for any comments.

I'd be interested to know which route you go down and how you get on. I'm my Wife is in pretty much the same situation, although her W166 came with 4 x 90% new tyres, but after these have worn I'll be looking at all seasons.

 

[rf065]

I've been using winter tyres for 15 years, Bridgestone, Vredestein & Nokian mainly.
Cannot fault them, don't bother with weather forecasts anymore as 12" snow does not even phase them & I've never got stuck once. I can even leave 4x4's (on summers) behind at the traffic light races, in snow, easily.
Looked at tests where Michelin Crossclimates have performed far better that summer tyres in extreme conditions but not as good as a real winter tyre, so I'd rather swap wheels every winter and have the best of both winter and summer tyres.

But here's what you don't hear on UK forums.........................................................
On my various travels through S. France, Spain and eastern European places like Czech Republic etc, and most places where winter tyres are mandatory during winter season, I've been amazed that in summer months when temps are between 30 & 45C, the amount of cars still fitted with winter tyres. They don't mind using winters all year round and no-one has any complaints about it either.

The UK never sees the temps they get in central europe but we feel in the UK that winters would burst into flames at these temps, but they obviously still perform very well and do not turn to melted rubber and need changed every month. In the UK we seek ultimate summer performance, even though our temps are pretty low and our roads are so congested we barely move at any speed. Food for thought?

 

[hgb]

I used Michelin Cross Climates on my BMW and they were excellent. Highly recommended unless you live somewhere where you can have a very hard winter

 

[markjay]

The obvious issue with summer tyres is that they are no good in snow and ice.

The temperature issue is a bit of a red herring. The performance envelopes of both summer and winter tyres covers a wide range of temperatures - and summer tyres can be used down to -20 degrees before the rubber loses its effectiveness.

Obviously you'll get better grip from winter tyres in low temperatures, and from summer tyres on warm days, but unless you're on a track where they change tyres regularly to suit the conditions, there's no need to worry about tyres and temperatures.

Snow and ice, again, are a different story.

 

[grober]

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the oft quoted figure for CARBON BLACK summer tyres losing grip is -7degrees C but of course their cold weather performance will follow a gradual diminution above that figure perhaps only noticable in extremis such as emergency braking/steering- they won't suddenly "fall off a cliff "grip wise -- the most noticeable characteristic of good winter/allweather tyres is better traction especially on front engined rear wheel drive cars

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

There’s always a compromise when it comes to tyres, and especially when it comes to the use of seasonal tyres or all season tyres.

It’s obvious but an all season tyre won’t perform quite as well as a winter tyre in winter, or as well as a summer tyre in summer, so there’s a comprise.

However using the right tyre for the season comes with a compromise too, you have to switch wheels and/or tyres twice a year, and then store them somewhere.

I personally prefer to have the optimum tyre for the season, and don’t mind changing, but my Dad prefers the convenience of not having to switch by season.

As a result I have winter wheels and tyres for our main cars, and my Dad has all season tyres on their matching his & hers Honda Jazzes

As @rf065 suggests, I believe that using good quality winter tyres all year round is a better compromise than using Summer tyres all year round (in the UK).

I’ve used winter tyres in summer many times, and I never noticed a reduction in performance or economy although I’m sure it’s there in extreme situations.

Where we live, how we use our cars, our attitude to risk, our need to stay mobile, and the importance we attach to tyres will mean that the right answer is different for each of us.

For me, in my situation, my preference is:

1. Switch by season
2. All season tyres
3 Winter tyres all year round
4. Summer tyres all year round

Which size are your tyres?

 

[hgb]

There’s always a compromise when it comes to tyres, and especially when it comes to the use of seasonal tyres or all season tyres.

It’s obvious but an all season tyre won’t perform quite as well as a winter tyre in winter, or as well as a summer tyre in summer, so there’s a comprise.

However using the right tyre for the season comes with a compromise too, you have to switch wheels and/or tyres twice a year, and then store them somewhere.

I personally prefer to have the optimum tyre for the season, and don’t mind changing, but my Dad prefers the convenience of not having to switch by season.

As a result I have winter wheels and tyres for our main cars, and my Dad has all season tyres on their matching his & hers Honda Jazzes

As @rf065 suggests, I believe that using good quality winter tyres all year round is a better compromise than using Summer tyres all year round (in the UK).

I’ve used winter tyres in summer many times, and I never noticed a reduction in performance or economy although I’m sure it’s there in extreme situations.

Where we live, how we use our cars, our attitude to risk, our need to stay mobile, and the importance we attach to tyres will mean that the right answer is different for each of us.

For me, in my situation, my preference is:

1. Switch by season
2. All season tyres
3 Winter tyres all year round
4. Summer tyres all year round

Which size are your tyres?

Excellent summary

 

[markjay]

As @rf065 suggests, I believe that using good quality winter tyres all year round is a better compromise than using Summer tyres all year round (in the UK).

My view is that it depends where you live (and where you do most of your driving). In the southern parts of the UK, I think that summer tyres all year round is probably closer to optimal than winter tyres all year round, and the opposite applies to the North.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

My view is that it depends where you live (and where you do most of your driving). In the southern parts of the UK, I think that summer tyres all year round is probably closer to optimal than winter tyres all year round, and the opposite applies to the North.

Agreed, further down the post I make the same point. The right compromise is different for each of us, depending upon our own situation.

 

[rf065]

My view is that it depends where you live (and where you do most of your driving). In the southern parts of the UK, I think that summer tyres all year round is probably closer to optimal than winter tyres all year round, and the opposite applies to the North.

I would counter that by saying, the fact that most Europeans can use winter tyres all year round in the extreme temps, high and low, would suggest we do not need summer tyres in the modest temps we get in the UK at all?

 

[markjay]

I would counter that by saying, the fact that most Europeans can use winter tyres all year round in the extreme temps, high and low, would suggest we do not need summer tyres in the modest temps we get in the UK at all?

Going by the famous '7 degrees', down here in London we get a couple of weeks a year at most when the temp is below that, and maybe a couple of days of snow. No harm will befall me if I drive on winter tyres all year round, but what's the point? To have mildly better traction two weeks a year? It's really not that important either way, to be honest.